Kneel Before VOD: August 16th
Welcome to Kneel Before VOD! Here, we recommend the latest, highlight-worthy films now on video-on-demand. We'll help you navigate through the thousands of options out there, on dozens of services, to the best in streaming this month!
The Favourite (2018)
Yorgos Lanthimos is without a doubt one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. He has an impeccable eye for cinema and it shines bright in his most recent film The Favourite. Set in 18th century England during the time of Queen Anne (played by Olivia Colman) the film features lavish costumes and set designs that make this a marvel to look at. This is also the stage for four of the best performances of 2018, two of which earned nominations and one that would take the statue. Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone (both earning supporting actress nominations for their work) are near flawless as the two women fighting for the favor of Olivia Colman’s Queen Anne. Colman herself is putting on an acting clinic as this is the role that she took home the Oscar for, and anyone who's seen “the cake” scene knows she deserved it. The fourth is Nicholas Hoult who gives a devilishly fun supporting performance as Harley, which plays as the perfect companion to the women of the film. It's one of 2018’s best and you can easily catch up with it now.
Aquaman (2018)
“Call me, Ocean Master.” Look, we all know the modern DC/WB superhero franchise got off to a rocky start, but it's finally coming around. The first signs of the winds of change were in Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, which showed us that the grips were being loosened for the filmmakers. Enter James Wan’s Aquaman, a movie that had continually been delayed as the future of DC kept shifting and had audiences worried about the end result. Lucky for us, those delays basically existed so Wan could make the exact movie he wanted to make, which just happens to be one of the biggest, nerdiest, and outright ridiculous superhero movies ever made. Jason Momoa owns this role and is an absolute blast to watch anytime he’s on screen. Add in Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and so many more great actors, and this thing is non-stop fun. I’d personally suggest getting this on 4k/blu-ray, but HBO will suffice.
Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling (2019)
When I pressed play on the new Rocko’s Modern Life special this past week I had no idea what to expect. I couldn’t tell you the last time I watched the show, and with so many pointless reboots and remakes of nostalgia rich properties it was easy to go in feeling cynical. All of that was washed away in about five minutes as the return of Rocko and friends is legitimately one of the best things I have watched all year. It’s biting satire of the modern age that simultaneously embraces everything about it. It's a story about how change is inevitable and if all you do is fight it then you'll never be happy. Rocko spends the whole special trying to get his favorite show from twenty years ago back on the air in a brilliant takedown of toxic fandom. They also worked closely with GLAAD to introduce a trans storyline for one of its characters. Add on top of all of that amazing stuff, this thing is traditional hand drawn animation with hand painted backgrounds. This is legitimately some of the best entertainment released in 2019.
More Streaming Picks:
Netflix: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Hulu: The Beach Bum (2019)
Amazon: Pirate Radio (2009)
HBO: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
